Rhine River Cruising

We booked a Rhine Rive Cruise in December.   The attraction was that it was the Christmas Market Tour, from Amsterdam to Basel and then on land to Lucerne and Zurich.  Here are some of my favourite photos from the cruise.  I made them into collages so that I could post a few at a time.  The following collage is about the Amacello. 

Double Check that the House is Not For Sale

One of my colleagues took a client through a home that they loved.  Life intervened and they never got a chance to buy it.  The owner, tired of having the house on the market, took it off and did some remodeling to accommodate his expanding family.  More than two years have passed and the ‘Buyers’ still dream of the ‘house that got away’.  While they have looked at many others in the same neighbourhood, none come close to the first house.  What can they do?

One very good possibility is to approach the owner and ask if he is amenable to selling his home.  Certainly, a contract that he may have had with his original agent has expired, even with the extension clause.  He could deal directly with the buyers (if they do not have an agent under contract), he could rehire his original agent, he could work with the buyers’ agent.  At the very least, he could find out what the current market conditions are and whether or not a sale at this time is something that would be to his benefit.  

One thing Buyers often do is ASSUME a condition, a personality of a Seller, or other things that are not factual.  At the very least, and with respect to the Seller, ascertain the facts.  Maybe the owner is willing to sell, maybe not.  If not, the Buyers can move on to another property.  If so, and the price is right, the Buyers will get their dream home.  

An opera is not over until the fat lady sings.  A home is not for sale until the owner confirms it.

Photo credit:  The Fat Lady Sings – You can’t beat a bit of opera, can you?  Bruinhilda has always been my favourite.

 

Shhhh. The Clematis is Creeping

We have a pole in our front yard for the power and telephone lines.  On that pole is a sign indicating No Parking Anytime to the left of our home.  I think you have to learn to live with the ‘gifts’ that the city gives you so we have planted a vine and a clematis plant at the base of the pole.  This clematis is a plant of extraordinary beauty and has been giving us flowers for the past several weeks.  

About that No Parking sign….  From time to time the city will come by and rip plants away from their signs.  These are guys who likely have no gardening training and are there from the Traffic Bureau.  We have grown (pun) fond of the clematis so this week we took out the ladder, climbed up and cut back the plant so the sign is visible. Oh yes, we also saved a few people from getting tickets.

Photo credit:  Me.  I have tried to get a few good shots of the plant but found that if the sun is shining directly on the plant, the flowers come out very washed out.  Taking the photo from some of the flowers that protrude and at a 45 degree angle helped to get the true colour of the blossoms.  Oh, using the macro lens also made the focus just the plant and blurred the background.  

A Christmas Present to Myself – A Box of New Beginnings

This is my final week as a licensed real estate sales representative. I have been struggling with the decision to leave all year. After my husband retired, I wanted to spend more time with him and to go on longer trips. It was clear that I could not provide top level service to my clients if I was going to be gone several weeks or months a year. So….. as my license was coming up for renewal in January, I finally wrapped up all my concerns about not having a specific plan for the future and decided to gift that freedom to myself.

As I have been telling my friends and clients of my decision, the first question that almost all of them have asked is “What are you going to do about your blog?”. I am going to continue. I have lots of experience to draw from, lots of thoughts and some ideas of activities that will keep me in the house-related area.

For the time being, I am going to enjoy the holidays ahead. In January, I will open the box of new beginnings and see what is in store.

Wish me luck!!!

Photo credit: Gift @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/72153088@N08/6510934443/

Lookie Loos

Lookie Loos are often Sunday house shoppers.  They are people who go out to see what their neighbours have in their homes.  Some Sellers will not have Open Houses because they know the neighbourhood “Loos”.   I say, “Bring them on”.  Lookie Loos may have friends and relatives who would appreciate the advanced work and will not be…….

Window Shoppers  

Fixtures and furnishings

You may want to strip everything from your house that is not nailed down. If you are asking premium price, Buyers will know it.  Getting your price while keeping all of the appliances, light fixtures, drapes, tracks and garden shed is not a successful strategy. 

Make your sale by leaving things – On The House.

Two peas in a pod

Have you rented a pod to fill up with your clutter & stuff while your house is on the market?  Please do not leave that pod on your driveway when the For Sale sign is posted.  It is an eye sore.  Potential Buyers and your neighbours will be put off.  Have the pod removed to storage while you wait for the Sold sign.

Store until your sale is in the bag.

Blue Boy and Pinky

Nothing says “Grandma lives here” more than the needlepoint pictures of the Blue Boy and Pinky.  You may have inherited these pictures.  They are dear to your heart.  To a Buyer they just say – old, tired and dusty.  Any old pictures, needlepoint or paint by number, that were completed 40 – 75 years ago need to stored before your house is on the market.  

Let Blue Boy have his day in hallways at the “home”.

The chicken or the egg

What comes first, your neighbourhood or your house?  The old adage of “location, location, location” should tell you that you choose your neighbourhood first and then you look for the house.  You can always renovate and change a home but you cannot change the neighbourhood.

Buy where you want to live.

Chachkas and knickknacks

These are those many, tiny decorative bits that we spread around our homes.  When the house goes up for sale the chachkas need to be boxed up.  One or two are fine but take away the myriad of little vases, picture frames, biddy animals from Tetley tea and grandma’s porcelain flowers.  They collect dust and distract buyers.

Set your goal for clear clean horizontal surfaces.

Zinger 120

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